DA’s Office Works to Combat Fraud

July is Fraud Awareness Month

(Woodland, CA) – July 16, 2014- District Attorney Jeff Reisig announces that July is Fraud Awareness Month. The Yolo County District Attorney’s Office is dedicated to fighting and preventing all forms of fraud found in our community.

One of the most costly forms of Fraud experienced in Yolo County is Worker’s Compensation Claimant Fraud. The Worker’s Compensation System was created to provide employees who are injured on the job with insurance coverage that will compensate them for lost wages, medical care, and if necessary, vocational rehabilitation. All employers in California share the cost of this care, which allows workers to obtain the care they need without driving small businesses out of business based on an expensive industrial injury. However, when people steal benefits to which they are not entitled, they steal from the legitimately injured workers of California, while simultaneously driving up the costs of goods and services.

Claimant fraud is committed in many different manners, including when an employee tries to fraudulently collect workers’ compensation benefits by claiming a non-work related injury, faking an injury, lying about the seriousness of the injury or lying about wages to increase benefits.

The Yolo County District Attorney’s Office works closely with the California Department of Insurance and Insurance Agencies to combat false injury claims by employees. Fraudulent claims cost employers and insurance companies billions of dollars every single year. Companies are then forced to pass those costs on to their customers in order to stay in business. It is only through cooperation and vigilance we can protect employers and legitimately injured workers.

Claimant fraud is a felony which subjects criminals to up to five years in prison and up to $150,000 in fines, plus penalties and assessments. We are dedicated to holding employees accountable for filing false claims that raise the costs for services to everyone. Aggressive investigation and prosecution allows the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office to combat fraudulent claims and protect companies that do business within Yolo County and the legitimately injured workers they employ.

We encourage employers who believe they have employees reporting fraudulent claims and workers who believe a co-worker is collecting on a fraudulent claim to contact the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office at the Fraud Hotline 1-855-4YOLODA or you can send us an email at District.Attorney@yolocounty.org.